


A Crow in the Garden

by delta_altair



Series: Trust Love - Fair Game Week 2020 [4]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Bird Qrow Branwen, Birds, Day 4: Birds/Soulmates, Developing Relationship, Fluff, I snuck a Princess Bride reference in there, M/M, fairgameweek2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:33:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23217817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delta_altair/pseuds/delta_altair
Summary: There's a garden, hidden in the upper reaches of Atlas Academy, where Clover goes to unwind. It's a beautiful place, removed from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the world. Flowers line the balcony and the few birds that live in Atlas sometimes pay a visit.Qrow decides he also wants to pay a visit to this garden, but in a much more roundabout way.~~~~Part 4 in a series that fills in the blanks of Qrow and Clover's relationship throughout Volume 7, culminating in a total re-work of Episode 12 and the epilogue that these characters deserved.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Series: Trust Love - Fair Game Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665739
Comments: 22
Kudos: 181





	A Crow in the Garden

Birds weren't common in Atlas, especially during the colder seasons. The loud hums and groans of the floating city also discouraged nesting. Birds were much more likely to be spotted down in Mantle, their nests tucked into the tight spaces between the large heating units dotting the city buildings. 

A few birds could be found frequenting the air of Atlas though, especially if you knew where to look. Clover had been aimlessly wandering the halls of the academy many years ago when he stumbled upon a tiny balcony on the upper dome of the academy, squeezed into the space next to the soaring central tower. It was a pentagonal space with the roof uncovered, providing a sweeping view of the city below. A pair of short but sturdy pine trees sat in two corners of the atrium, and a trough a few inches deep had been cut in the thick balcony directly opposite the door, ending in a point. The crevice was filled with a thick, loamy soil and had an array of wildflowers growing in it. A pair of rickety wooden chairs sat next to each tree, their peeling paint a sky blue colour. On either side of the door stood two small bookshelves, stocked with a selection of various titles that rotated somewhat randomly throughout the year.

It was Clover's favourite place in all of Atlas. Hardly anyone knew about it, so it was the perfect place to come when he needed a moment alone. It took eight months of intermittent visits for him to eventually run into the keeper of the balcony garden. A middle-aged woman by the name of Lyla, who was also the librarian for the academy, had transformed what had been an unused storage room into this tranquil sanctuary two years earlier, with the permission of the Headmaster at the time. When Clover had asked her why she didn't advertise the space more, she answered with a smile, "I like to think that those who need this space will eventually find their way to it."

Lyla and Clover had enjoyed many conversations over the interceding eight years. Her amber coloured hair was shot through with significantly more grey, and her dark brown skin held many more wrinkles from smiles and laughs, but her violet eyes and jovial spirit had remained as sharp as always. 

Clover had last seen her about two weeks ago, just after he was informed by General Ironwood about their incoming guests. He had confided to her that he was nervous about meeting one particular hunter from the group, who he now knew shared an oddly similar semblance. Qrow Branwen, a legend. Lyla's advice had been to just wait and meet the man in person, and not to rely on hearsay. Of course, she had been so right.

Lyla wasn't at the balcony today. Clover entered the empty space, leaving the door propped slightly behind him. The weather was particularly warm today, and there was no headwind, so he didn't feel the need to keep the door shut. 

Sitting at the apex of the balcony was a small bird-feeder. It was the same blue as the chairs, though the paint job was in much better shape. Lyla had installed it during the first year of Clover's visits when he mentioned a passing interest in birdwatching. The few species that lived around Atlas would sometimes nest in the balcony trees, but bird seed would do a much better job attracting them. 

Clover opened the bag of seed he had brought and filled the ledge of the feeder. Tying the bag closed, he laid it on the ground next to the chair on his left. He took a minute to admire the new flowers Lyla had planted since the last time he visited. A cluster of vibrant red peonies grew next to the bird-feeder. Their petals were sturdy, helping them hold on in the frigid Atlesian breeze.

He walked to the bookshelf and grabbed the book he was slowly making his way through. It was a story he remembered his grandfather reciting to him as a child, filled with dustless fights, fencing without transformable weapons, monsters before the Grimm, daring escapes, revenge, true love, and miracles. It was old, but a classic. Sitting down in the chair, Clover flipped to his last page and began reading.

A half hour passed before the first bird came. It was a tiny snow bunting, its white and black feathers rustling. It let out a warbling song before digging into the seed on the bird-feeder. Within minutes there were three more of the birds crowding around the ledge of the feeder. Clover stood, slipping a finger between the pages of his book, and moved to lean against the balcony wall. He gave his pin a quick flick, willing his semblance to make his presence non-intrusive.

His quiet observation of the birds continued for a few minutes before he heard the door creak behind him. Turning, Clover expected to see Lyla entering, but instead only saw that the door was slightly more ajar than before. Must have been the wind. He sat back down, enjoying the company of the book and his avian friends for another hour before he left for the day.

\------------------------------------------------------

Four days later, Clover made his way back to the tiny atrium late in the evening. Nora, Yang, Qrow, and himself had just arrived back from another supply run to Amity. The girls ran ahead as soon as their transport touched down, excited to reunite with their respective teams. Clover waved goodbye to Qrow, telling the huntsman he was off to unwind with a bit of reading. Tomorrow he was attending the ball hosted by Jacques Schnee, where General Ironwood was going to have to defend his position on the council. Clover already knew it would be stressful, and he wanted to relax his mind before then. After a quick stop by his room to gather his bird seed, he arrived at the room, pulling the door shut behind him. The breeze had a harsher cut to it today. He hoped some birds would be enticed enough by the snacks to brave the gusts swirling around the academy tower. 

A handful of buntings appeared rather quickly, after Clover set up the bird food. He thumbed open his book once again, content with the quiet chirps. About ten minutes later, a shadow passed over the open book in Clover's lap. Glancing up, he sucked in a short breath. Standing on the edge of the balcony, peering down directly at him, was a huge black bird. It was so large Clover initially assumed it to be a raven, until it let out a sharp 'caw!' at him. 

"Wow," he breathed, standing and leaving the book on the chair, page number forgotten. "I've never seen a crow up here in Atlas. And never one of your size." The crow’s feathers were as dark as night, glossy and well groomed, other than its slightly ruffled crest. "You're beautiful."

A squawk that somehow sounded indignant was followed by the crow tilting its head, blinking at Clover. "And quite the personality, too," he smiled. "It's funny, you kind of remind me of someone." 

He leaned against the balcony wall as the crow shuffled towards the bird-feeder, nosing at some of the flowers with its beak. It didn't disrupt any of the wild assortment of blooms, but instead genuinely seemed to be studying them. The other birds, still wolfing down the feed, seemed unperturbed by its presence. "It's funny you should show up today, I was just on a supply mission with your other namesake. I think it went pretty well, though I've started to realize it's still going to take a while before Qrow will accept a compli-woah!"

The crow had suddenly turned, jumping into the air with a sharp flap of its wings, and landed on the outstretched hand Clover had been gesturing with. Tiny talons were careful to wrap around the leather parts of his glove, and not dig into flesh. It stared at Clover, feathers ruffled, and let out a sharp caw. Clover blinked, utterly confused. He had been watching birds for years, and even with his semblance, hardly any had ever gotten this close. And didn't crows have a reputation for being standoffish?

Clover slowly reached out with his other hand. The crow watched the movement, but didn't shy away. Gingerly, Clover brushed the ruff of feathers at the top of its head. "You're very friendly," Clover remarked. Another low croaking sound was the response, making him smile. The crow turned its gaze down from Clover's face, leaning forward. Following its sightline, Clover realized it was looking at his pin. "Ah, you enjoy the shiny things in life, I see." The series of short, cut-off caws sounded so much like a laugh, Clover was a little unnerved.

“You’re one of the most interesting birds I’ve met here. You don’t find it too cold?” A downward tilt of the head that read as a ‘no’. “Must be pretty sturdy. And you’re not lost?” Another ‘no’ tilt. “Well, I’m sure you're hungry.”

He moved his arm to the balcony ledge, being careful to not jostle his passenger. The crow hopped onto the wall and looked in the direction of the bird-feeder, which was still surrounded by smaller birds.

"Oh, here, I can get you some food," Clover said, turning around and picking the bag of bird seed off the floor. Undoing the tie, which had somehow become quite tangled, he absently mused, "I think I'm going to invite Qrow up here. This place is pretty special to me, I'd like to share it with him. Maybe we'll be lucky and you'll be here to say hello."

"Lucky, huh?"

Clover whirled around at the low and raspy voice. Perched on the edge of the balcony was Qrow Branwen. He was kneeling, shoes balancing precariously on the inner edge of the wall, one arm hanging loose at his side and the other resting on his knee. His head was tilted slightly to one side, and a relaxed, teasing smile rested on his face. A few silent seconds passed before he raised an eyebrow. "Ahh it's too bad, I wanted to meet this bird. Could'a sworn you called it beautiful." He winked.

Clover dropped the bag.

Hundreds of tiny clatters sounded, proceeding a sudden flurry of wings as the buntings swarmed the inside of the atrium, much more interested in the feast scattered across the floor. 

Qrow roared with laughter, clutching his stomach. Clover just stood, dumbfounded. Where did he...how did...

"Were you that crow!?"

"Hah, uh, yeah," Qrow replied, wiping at his eyes. "Ohh, sorry I really should have done that before you grabbed the bag." He hopped down off the wall. "I'll help clean it up. Gods that was worth it, though."

"Wait, wait!" Clover held up a hand. Qrow stopped walking forward, a confused glint to his red eyes. Continuing, Clover asked, "What do you mean 'yeah'?"

"I...was the crow? That crow you were talking to."

Clover just stared.

Qrow stared right back at him, until realization dawned in his expression. "Uh, wait, did you not know about that?"

"No!!"

"Oh, damnit, of course," Qrow sighed, raising a hand to his forehead. "I actually shocked the hell out of you then, didn't I?"

Shifting his stance to put his hands on his hips, Clover took a deep breath and attempted to regain his composure. He nodded, "A little, yep."

"Ah, I'm sorry, really. I thought you knew already."

"It's ok, don't worry about it," Clover said, already smiling again. "It was surprising, but in hindsight it was pretty funny." 

Qrow snickered as he reached down and grabbed the overturned bag. "Damn right it was."

"But why did you think I knew?" he asked, walking over to one of the bookshelves. Tucked into the corner between it and the wall was a broom and pan. He silently thanked Lyla for somehow having the foresight to know he was going to make a mess in here some day. 

"Here, give me that, this is my fault." Qrow took the broom from a protesting Clover. "No really, sit down, you came here to relax, not clean up bird food." As the man -- the shapeshifter, Clover reminded himself -- started sweeping, he continued, "I figured Jimmy would have told you about it. It is a secret, but it can give me the edge in combat, so I figured you would have been informed."

Shaking his head, Clover leaned down from his chair and helped to sweep up the bird seed near him. "No, he just told us all of the officially available information, plus your semblances." He paused, a realization striking him. "This...isn't your semblance, is it?"

"No," Qrow answered. "It's magic. Like the Maiden powers, and Oscar and Oz. How I got it is a story for another day." He swept up the last of the seed, displacing a few very irritated birds, and carefully poured it back into the bag. "But I'm glad I gave you a fright here, and not in the middle of a battle."

Clover sat in quiet contemplation. This was something Qrow kept hidden, secret enough that General Ironwood had clearly thought it best not to inform Clover right away. He looked up at Qrow, the man turning around as he replaced the broom by the bookshelf and laying the bag by the door. 

"Thank you," Clover said.

The snow buntings flew back up to the balcony, settling on the bird-feeder once again. Qrow raised his hands, shrugging off the thanks. "Don't worry about it, like I said, it was my fault anyway." 

"No, I mean-," Clover stood, suddenly feeling the need to be at eye level with Qrow, "well, yes, thank you for cleaning that up. But also, thank you for telling me this. It's clearly personal."

Qrow stared at him for a long moment, before smiling. A real smile, one Clover had only seen a few times. "It's alright. I trust you with this, Clover." 

"...I really appreciate that," Clover said, returning the smile. Another beat passed. Qrow averted his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, something Clover had pegged over the past few weeks as a nervous tic. Breaking the tension, he asked, "Want to go get dinner? I'm starving."

"Sure," Qrow said. A slightly mischievous grin appeared on his face, "I'll race you. Last one down buys the other coffee tomorrow, before the event at the Schnee manor?"

"If you want, but I don't know if that'd be fair. I think I know these halls a bit better than you, Qro-" 

The man in question shot towards the balcony, pushing himself up with one hand. There was a tiny flash of light, and a crow soared into the air before taking a steep dive and disappearing out of sight.

Clover stared out at where the shapeshifter had leaped, mouth agape. He then doubled over with laughter, before realizing he was going to get his ass kicked if he didn't get it in gear. He ran out of the room and started sprinting down the hallways of the academy. A few confused glances were thrown his way, but he ignored them.

Sliding into the cafeteria, his gaze darted around the room before being pulled towards an uproar of sound. Team RWBY and the rest of the AceOps were gathered around a table, the former in various states of laughter and the latter staring at Clover in disbelief. Sitting at the end of the table, leaning back with a casual air, arms linked behind his head, and with a smug grin on his face, was Qrow. 

"What the hell happened?" Harriet glared at Clover. "How did you lose, you're  _ from _ here!"

“It is strange,” Vine commented.

"Maybe he let him win," Weiss supplied, hiding small giggles behind her hand. 

Blake smiled, "You may be right, Clover's a gentleman." 

"Come on you rascals, you know me better than that," Qrow said. "I won, fair and square."

Walking towards the table, Clover let out a short laugh. "Fair and square?"

"The rules only said a race," Qrow said, his grin becoming even wider. 

Clover shrugged, sitting down at the table. "Whatever you say, birdie."

The girls, particularly Ruby and Yang, exploded with laughter.

Qrow's expression dropped from smug to surprise, then mild irritation. But Clover could tell it was irritation laced with begrudging affection. He rolled his eyes, but when the rest of the table wasn't looking, he shot a smile at Clover.

Clover smiled back.

**Author's Note:**

> I love mischievous birb Qrow so much!
> 
> Did you spot the Princess Bride reference?
> 
> Thank you for reading <3! I hoped you enjoyed this light and fluffy piece. Tomorrow's work will be the re-interpretation of E12, so it's going to be much longer. Thanks you for reading along thus far, and I hope you'll catch the Day 5 work as well!


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